ARTISTS CORNER: Bass-baritone Matthew Burns

Bass-baritone Matt Burns

Bass-baritone Matthew Burns, who the New York Times describes as possessing a "beautiful bass-baritone voice," makes his debut at Sarasota Opera this season as Basilio in The Barber of Seville which opened February 15th.  Mr. Burns career highlights include appearances at New York City Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, and Boston Lyric Opera as well as performing in concert at some of the world's most prestigious stages. 

Continue reading to learn what opera inspired Mr. Burns to become an opera singer, what he avoids putting on his cheesecake before a performance, and how a "chance" meeting on the street introduced him to the love of his life.      



Q. Where are you from originally and where do you live currently?
A. I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. I now live in Astoria, Queens, NYC, once home to Maria Callas, Tony Bennett, Ethel Merman, The Costanzas from Seinfeld, and Archie Bunker.

Mr. Burns as Leporello in Don Giovanni
at Boston Lyric Opera

Q. What drew you to become a singer? Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?
A. I like transient living and poverty. Maybe I should have just been a carny?
Seriously, I have been singing since I can remember. I used to sing for my extended family at Christmas time when I was a little guy. I got into choir in middle school and stayed through graduation. I was in a grunge band in high school. I decided to go to college to be a better singer but they only taught opera. So I stuck it out for a couple of years. I took up a double major in music education and performance. In 1995, I saw a performance of Don Giovanni at Virginia Opera. I laughed for the first time as an opera audience member. "Aha!" It was a combination of the character of Leporello, Mozart's music, and my cumulative training to that point, but that was it for me. I decided that I wanted to do THAT, make people laugh. I devoted myself to this amazing art form from that moment on.

Q. Did you have other career aspirations in the works before you decided on singing?
A. I loved psychology. I thought about a double major in college in Music and Psychology. This has proven useful when delving into the minds of the characters I have had the privilege of playing over the years.

Q. You have sung the role of Basilio before. What do you enjoy about performing this role?
A. Basilio sings one of the classic opera arias, "La Calunnia", the rumor. When I first started studying opera, I noticed that "La Calunnia" was on every great bass aria  compilation. I love that this role has lived in the throats and bodies of some of the greatest performers of all time.

Mr. Burns as Basilio in The Barber of Seville
at Sarasota Opera

Q. This is your chance to put Basilio center stage. What do you want the audience know about Basilio?
A. My therapist says that people drop clues about themselves all the time. You just have to be paying attention. The fun part of playing Basilio is that no one really pays attention to him throughout the opera. They are all wrapped up in their own mess. Even at the end of his big number, Bartolo immediately dismisses Basilio's idea for his own. "Do re mi fa sol" (Money makes me King)! This is a phrase Basilio mutters when he enters in the Act 1 finale. Characters reveal who they truly are when they are talking to themselves.  This line has lead many directors to make Basilio a kleptomaniac. I look forward revisiting Basilio to see how this side of his personality develops.

Q. Looking over your performance resume, you have sung both a number of dramatic and comedic roles. Do you have a preference?
A. Until last year, I would have said comedic roles, also given my answer from earlier asking about my inspiration for pursuing this career. However, I got the opportunity to sing the role of George in Of Mice and Men, an opera Sarasota Opera produced last year. It was one of the highlights of my life. There is so much meat on that bone. I look forward to delving into many dramatic roles in the future in addition to many Leporellos, Basilios and Figaros.

Q. Now, is it true that you met your wife (soprano Anne Carolyn Bird) performing in an opera?
A. No, I first "accosted" her on the street in front of Time Warner Center in NYC. We were scheduled to perform opposite each other as Figaro and Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro in Grand Rapids, MI later that month. I recognized her from her Facebook profile pic.

When we were in Grand Rapids rehearsing The Marriage of Figaro, (which should really be called Figaro's wedding) is when I fell pretty hard for her. I kept my feelings hidden as we were just colleagues. But as fate has it, while we were there rehearsing, she got a last minute replacement job to sing Rosina in The Barber of Seville in Dayton, Ohio, where I was scheduled to be Basilio. We had three weeks off between The Marriage of Figaro and The Barber of Seville. The first day of rehearsal in Dayton I knew I was toast. We started "datin' in Dayton", were engaged four months later, and were married four months after that. We had the chance to perform Susanna and Figaro at Virginia Opera last season. It was a dream to revisit the roles that brought us together.

Mr. Burns wife, soprano Anne Carolyn Bird, in rehearsal while Mr. Burns and their son Henry watch from off-stage.

Q. It must be exciting being married to another successful singer but I imagine it poses some unique challenges?
A. It is exciting and boring and everything else in between, just like any other marriage. We are the proud parents of a wonderful three and a half year old boy, Henry. That does complicate things a bit. I won't get into the logistics that is required to do…well, anything. Let's just say, my next career should be in air traffic control with the amount of logistical planning I have to go through on a daily basis.

Mr. Burns as George in Of Mice and Men
at Utah Opera

Q. Why do you think people should come and see this opera?
A. Why should people go see the Mona Lisa? Why should people go see the Grand canyon? Because when you have access to something as great as this in your hometown, you have to experience it. Opera is an always changing art form. So even if you have seen The Barber of Seville before, you have not seen this one. Operas are like great cuisine. The basic recipes are the same, but the amounts of the ingredients, the quality of the ingredients and the way it is presented will change with each chef. We, the artists, bring our years of experience and training with us making this performance unique. No two will be the same. So, Don't miss it!

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal or performance anywhere you have sung? 
A. I was just out of music school working with an independent producer at Brooklyn Academy of Music on a Handel Opera called Siroe. I was the only American in the cast. The agreed upon language to speak in was French. I took French in high school so I felt pretty comfortable but was certainly not fluent by any means. At the intermission of the final dress rehearsal right before the first entrance, the director sees me backstage and asks: "Ou est la salle?" To which I replied, in French "follow me". I remember well that one of the phrases you had to know in high school if you wanted to go the restroom was "puis-je aller à la salle de bains?". "May I go to the restroom?" Clever me, I take him, an older, heavy set man with very slender legs down two flights of stairs and point into the dressing rooms. I gesture in and say, "D'accord, la salle" He looks at me and says something to the effect of "pas la salle de bain, la salle de Theatre" ("Not the bathroom, the hall to the theater")!

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals? Performance superstitions? Good luck charms?
A. I don't have any superstitions but I do have reflux. So eating cheesecake with bacon covered with Sriracha the night before the show is not happening.

Q. How do you relax in between performances? What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road?
A. I eat Sriracha covered cheesecake with bacon. Not exactly! But, I am a foodie and an oenophile. I will be seeking out amazing food in and around Sarasota. I love finding holes in the wall that only locals know about in addition to exploring chef restaurants and trying new foods. I am not big on the chain restaurants.
So if anyone wants to take me to somewhere amazing, I'm game. I love cooking too. I bring a spice kit and a chef knife on every gig. I anticipate many cast meals.

Mr. Burns as Taddeo in Rossini L'italiana in Algieri

Q. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”? Do you keep a blog? Website? Facebook? Twitter?
A. With Anne-Carolyn and Henry, we Skype at least once a day usually at breakfast.  For the rest of the family, I am on Facebook. I treat Facebook like a living photo album for the sake of my family. Some of my extended family don't get to see us except once a year. I like to keep them updated. I try to keep Facebook to actual friends, people I would stop to chat with on the street if I saw them. But the list grows every year.
I have a twitter feed but am not very active. You can find me at @baseberrytone on Twitter.

Don't miss Mr. Burns' critically acclaimed comic timing as Basilio in Rossini's The Barber of Seville opening Saturday, February 15th and running through March 21st.  Tickets are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling (941) 328-1300.

ARTISTS CORNER: Bass-baritone Kevin Short

Bass Kevin Short

Bass-baritone Kevin Short has been a frequent artist at Sarasota Opera since making his debut in 1991 as Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust.  Since his debut, Mr. Short has been seen in many leading roles at Sarasota Opera, particularly the works of Verdi.  In addition, Mr. Short's career has taken him to the stages of Stuttgart Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera House. 

This season, Mr. Short returns to sing the title role in Wagner's The Flying Dutchman, a role he has performed at Indianapolis Opera, the Stadttheater Bern, and most recently in Croatia. Continue reading to learn why Mr. Short enjoys singing the music of Wagner and what he thinks makes Sarasota Opera so special that has kept him coming back since 1991.  

Mr. Short as Nourabad in Sarasota Opera's
2000 production of The Pearl Fishers

Q. Where are you originally from and where do you base yourself out of today?
A. I was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Charles County, Maryland. Today I’m based between Basel, Switzerland and Miami, Florida

Q. Why Opera?  What drew you to become a singer?  
A. I had very good instructors/mentors at  Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD), the Curtis Institute (Philadelphia, PA), and Juilliard’s AOC (American Opera Center) that  were quite influential to me as a young singer. But by the time I was a junior at Morgan State University and had won a few young artist competitions, I was certain I wanted to be a professional opera singer.

Q. What singing did you do as a teenager?
A. It wasn’t until I was a junior in high school that I joined the school choir and I also sang a bit in the choir while attending St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

Q. What are you looking forward to most about performing the role of The Dutchman in this season’s production of The Flying Dutchman?
A. I am most looking forward to literally singing every note of this brilliant score again and exploring undiscovered dramatic possibilities. The role is such a tour de force and the vocal and dramatic demands it places upon me are extremely exciting. I’m also very much looking forward to working with my outstanding colleagues, the musical and directing team, and I’m very interested to hear what the typical outstanding Sarasota Opera chorus will sound like with this masterpiece.

Mr. Short in the title role of Wagner's The Flying Dutchman at Indianapolis Opera

A. What is your process for preparing a role for performance?
Q. I find it very helpful to read the libretto first to get a real sense of the dramatic flow or arc of a piece and how my character factors into the overall equation. What is my relationship  to or how do I feel about each character in the opera whether I interact with them or not? It’s important for me to find out why I say what I say. I then start at the piano playing a section of my part multiple times to begin the memorization process. I move to the next section the next day while always revisiting the section from  the day before. If it’s music that is quite taxing I will often sing it down an octave or better yet, sing it very lightly in the octave. This helps to not start forming bad habits when trying to sing and learn at the same time. Overall there’s a sort of layering process that takes place. I also find it helpful to sing  my music in different tempi and mix things up a bit to not become too fixated with only one way of singing the music. This is espcecially useful if I’ve listened to or am familiar with recordings that could influence my interpretation before I’ve had input from the Maestro and director.

Mr. Short as Pagano in Verdi's
I Lombardi alla prima crociata
at Sarasota Opera

Q. Wagner roles seem particularly demanding.  Are there additional challenges in singing a Wagner role compared to other types of roles you have performed?
A. Yes, I find  for example, early Verdi and Wagner to be equally difficult to sing because of the tessitura of large sections of their music. Later Verdi is less problemic in this manner. Early Verdi also can require vocal gymnastics when handling vocal leaps. Dutchman does not as much as early Verdi, but there is the added demand of  having to contend with the thickness of his orchestration during  some musical and dramatic climaxes. A temptation for the Wagner singer is to try to force a bit too much. I think the singer benefits greatly if vocally they approach Wagner as they would singing a good many Italian operas. I also feel that Dutchman is the mist Italianate of his opera.

Q. What do you want the audience to know about the character of The Dutchman?  
A. That there may be a personality flaw that causes the Dutchman to have been so unsuccessful in finding  a true woman for so many years. He’s also not to be pitied as much as some may want to pity him. It’s his own arrogance in defying nature and God that caused his predicament

Q. What would you say to someone who might be intimidated to try their first Wagner opera?  
A. Dutchman is extremely accessible dramatically ,and musically it is some of the most sublime and glorious music one can imagine. If they’ve ever wondered what Wagner is like, then this is the perfect first Wagner opera, and it’s also not a long night at the opera at under 3 hours  from beginning to end with intermission.

Mr. Short as Signor La Rocca in
Sarasota Opera's production of
Verdi's A King for a Day

Q. You have been a steady presence at Sarasota Opera for several seasons.  You must enjoy singing here. What do you think makes Sarasota Opera so special that people return season after season?
A. I absolutely love singing here for so many reasons such as the attention to detail from top to bottom. with everyone working at the company.

Because of the generous amount of time given to the rehearsal process, a singer will really develop and can explore the possibilities dramatically as well as vocally. There are also multiple performances that help facilitate this growth, which is extremely rare for most opera companies in the U.S.  Another reason is that Maestro DeRenzi has created an ensemble of singers and orchestra players that understand the Sarasota Opera music making process. Maestro’s musical language and performers that work regularly in Sarasota create an environment and unofficial system that is the closest thing we have in the States to a typical European fixed engagement system. 


Q. You have performed all over the world.  Do you find audiences behave differently in all the different countries you perform in? 
A. Yes, audiences seem to react in the manner and character of the characteristics of their country.

Mr. Short as The King in Opera Birmingham's production of Aida

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?
A. I don’t want to elaborate, but the whole rehearsal and performance period this past summer performing Dutchman at the Split Festival.

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?
A. I enjoy riding my bicycle, drawing,and reading historical books.

Q. What music do you listen to when you are driving in the car?
A. A wide variety.  I enjoy listening to opera but also enjoy jazz, classic R&B, and pop music. 

Q. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”?  Do you keep a blog? Website? Facebook?  Twitter?
A. I use Skype a good deal while on the road. Facebook also comes in handy for keeping in touch with family and friends.  

Don't miss a note Mr. Short's performances as The Dutchman in this season's production of Wagner's The Flying Dutchman running for 7 performances between March 1st through March 23rd. Tickets are on sale now at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling (941) 328-1300.  

Bass-Baritone Kevin Short Returns to Sarasota Opera



Bass-baritone Kevin Short



Bass-baritone Kevin Short has been a frequent artist at Sarasota Opera since making his debut in 1991 as Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust.  Since his debut, Mr. Short has been seen in many leading roles at Sarasota Opera, particularly the works of Verdi.  In addition, Mr. Short's career has taken him to Stuttgart Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera House. 

This season, Mr. Short returns to sing the role of Signor La Rocca in Sarasota Opera's upcoming production of Verdi's charming and lively comedy Un giorno di regno (A King for a Day), Sarasota Opera's third opera this season and the 29th installment of the Verdi Cycle, opening March 2nd and running through March 24th.   

 

Mr. Short as Nourabad in the 2000 production
of Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers).



In North America, Mr. Short has performed multiple roles with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Washington Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Canadian Opera Company, Vancouver Opera, Edmonton Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Sarasota Opera, Opera Pacific, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Indianapolis Opera, Utan Symphony, Opera de las Americas, Opera Memphis, Berkshire Opera Company, Nashville Opera, Opera Omaha, Opera Birmingham, New Jersy Opera Festival, Kentucky Opera and the Opera Theatre of St. Louis to name a few of the many companies where he's performed.




Mr. Short in the title role of Sarasota Opera's production of Verdi's Oberto, conte di San Bonifacio




Making Switzerland his home now for a number of years, Mr. Short has also performed in many european theaters such as Paris' Opéra Comique, Théâtre Caen, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, Oper der Stadt Köln, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Theater Aachen, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Theater Basel, Theater Bern, Theater St. Gallen, and Teatro Nacional di São Carlos in such roles as Attila, Philippe in Don Carlos, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Méphistophélès in Faust, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Escamillo in Carmen, Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress, Figaro and Il Conte in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Porgy in Porgy and Bess.

Mr. Short as Pagano in Sarasota Opera's production of Verdi's I Lombardi alla prima crociata



Mr. Short as The King in Verdi's Aida at Opera Birmingham



Mr. Short as Leporello in Mozart's Don Giovanni at Santa Fe Opera

Don't miss a note Mr. Short's performance as Signor La Rocca in this season's production of Un giorno di regno (A King for a Day) at Sarasota Opera.  There will be seven performances between March 2nd and March 24th!  Tickets are on sale now at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling (941) 328-1300.